Half to louis n



(No Model.)

B. W. SCOTT.

NEEDLE PIGKING TOOL FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

No. 407,125. Patented July 16, 1889..

57 mm m N Prlws, Pholbliibognphal: Walhmgh)", D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT \V. SCOTT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO LOUIS N. D. IVILLIAMS, OF SAME PLACE.

NEEDLE-PICKING TOOL FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,125, dated July 16, 1889.

Application filed April 29, 1339. Serial No. 308,947- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: thus spoiling the work or necessitating; the

Be it known that 1, ROBERT WV. SCOTT, a picking of the needle back into operative pocitizen of the United States, and a resident of sition again, thus causing loss of time.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an The device which forms the subject of my Improved Needle-Picking Tool for Knittinginvention has been devised mainly for the Machines, of which the following is a specifipurpose of facilitating and rendering certain cation. the proper depression of the needles into op- The object of my invention is to provide a arative position, and said device consists,

simple and efficient device whereby the neesimply, of a bar or finger A, the upper por- IO dles of aknitting-machine maybe readily and tion of which is somewhat wider than the accurately manipulated to throw them succeslower portion, so as to form opposite shoulders sively into and out of action as required in the a, the bar being provided with a suitable hanproduction of toe or heel pockets or like bulgdle b, and, preferably,with a projecting prong ing portions upon a knitted web; and this obor finger d, which is available for picking the 15 ject I attain in the manner hereinafter set needle from the depressed or operative posiforth, reference being had to the accolnpanytion to the raised or inoperative position in ing drawings, in which eifecting the narrowing of the web. The

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my imprincipal purpose of the device, however, is to proved needle-operating device. Fig. 2 is a effect the depression of the needles, and for 20 diagram illustrating the mode of using the this purpose the barA is pressed laterally same, and Figs. 3 and ii: are views illustrating against the raised or inoperative needle at a modification of the device. one end of the acting set, one of the shoul- There are many knitting-machines in which ders a overlapping the head of said needle needles are elevated from theirnormal or opsufficiently to insure the depression of the 25 erative position, so that their bits are carried same into acting position when the bar is beyond the control of the operating-cams and moved downward, but not sufficiently to incur the needles thus rendered inoperative, a subany risk of engaging with the next inoperasequent lowering of the needles rendering tive needle. The barAis preferably of such them again operative. Such needles are indepth that when its lower end comes in con- 30 tended mainly for the production of webs tact with the top of the needle-cylinder the having bulges or pockets thereon, such pockneedle acted 011 by the shoulder a will have ets being formed by first lifting out of action been depressed to the proper extent to render a certain number of the needles simultait operative, although this is not essential to neously without casting off their stitches, and the proper carrying out of my invention, as

35 then after each course of stitches on the rethe descent of the bar may be arrested by maining needles raising out of action a needle contact of its opposite shoulder with the top of said acting set, first at one end and then at of the end.needle of the depressed or acting the other end of the set, until the web has set. been narrowed to the desired extent, the nee- By reason of the opposite shoulders to a the 0 dles thus raised retaining the stitches last device can be used first to depress the needle formed on them, and being afterward succesat the right-hand end of the acting set, and sively depressed, so as to be thrown into action then to depress the needle at the left-hand again until the web has attained the same end of saidset; and,if desired, thedevicemay width as before the narrowing operation bebe made with both shoulders upon one side 5 gan. It is the usual practice to push down of bar, but between the opposite ends of the these inoperative needlesby hand, and the same, as shown in Fig. 3- -forinstance, the bar attendant must exercise considerable care and being reversed after acting upon a right-hand skill in performing this operation; otherwise needle, so as to be in position to act upon a there is a liability that the wrong needle, or left-hand needle, as shown in Fig. 4.

50 more than one needle, may be pushed down, Although I have shown the device as con- [00 stituting a hand-tool, it will be evident that it can be embodied in a machine whereby the manipulation of the needles is effected automatically.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent- 1. The within-described needle-picking de- 1 vice, consisting of a bar for bearing against the side of the needle to be depressed, said bar having a shoulder for overlapping the head of the needle and engaging with the same as the bar is lowered, substantially as specified.

2. The Within-described needle-picking device, consisting of a bar for bearing against the side of the needle to be depressed and having two shoulders, one for engaging with needles of the right hand and the other for engaging with needles of the left hand, substantially as specified.

3. The within-described needle-picking device, consisting of a bar for bearing against the side of the needle to be depressed, said bar having shoulders on opposite sides of the same for engaging with the heads of the needles, substantially as specified.

4. The within-described needle-picking device, consisting of a bar for bearing against the side of the needle, said bar having a shoulder for engaging with the head of the needle, and being provided with a suitable operatinghandle and with a projecting needle-lifting tongue or prong, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT WV. SCOTT.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM D. CONNER, HARRY SMITH. 

